(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of electrical or fiber-optic connectors possessing moisture and water proof integrity.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The invention described in this application is an improvement of the prior art connector of U.S. Pat. No. 7,195,505. The prior art connector is illustrated in FIG. 1 of this application. The prior art connector pair is an arrangement for producing a watertight connection for joining electrical or optical circuits. The prior arrangement includes a male connector that has an insert which defines a cylindrical plug with an outer end surface and an outer side surface. The male connector includes one or more electrical or optical contacts such as sockets or pins. The plug of the male connector is characterized by a first segment having a first groove disposed about the outer side surface at a first longitudinal distance from the outer end surface. The first segment is characterized by an outer diameter D1. A second segment is characterized by a first compliant sealing element protruding about the outer side surface at a second longitudinal distance from said first segment. The second segment is characterized by an outer diameter D2 which is not substantially different from the outer diameter D1 of the first segment.
The female connector of the prior art pair of FIG. 1 includes a shell which defines a receptacle with an inner end surface and an inner side surface. The female connector includes one or more electrical or optical contacts which correspond to the male connector contacts for mating purposes. The receptacle of the female connector is characterized by a second compliant sealing element protruding about the inner side surface approximately at the first longitudinal distance from said inner end surface and a second groove disposed about the inner side surface approximately at the second longitudinal distance from the inner end surface. In other words, the receptacle is arranged and designed to removably receive the plug such that the sealing element of the plug is received in the groove of the receptacle, and vice versa, thereby operatively coupling the contacts in a redundantly sealed environment.
(3) Identification of Objects of the Invention
A primary object of the invention described herein is to provide a connection pair that achieves improved performance over the prior art connection pair of FIG. 1.
Another object of the invention is to provide male and female geometries of the connector pair such that when the male member is axially inserted into the female member, coupling forces are negligible between the male and female members except at the very end axial movement of the male member into the female member.
Another object of the invention is to provide cylindrical material diameters of the coupling segments that vary as a function of distance from the end of the male segment, so as to enhance the sealing of the male member with the female member at the end of insertion of the male member into the female member.